Ben is totally overrated...

by steelerark on Oct 29, 2008 4:36 PM EDT Comment 29 comments

ben roethlisberger is overrated. how overrated is he? he is overrated. dont let that 49-20 record fool you. he can barely throw a ball downfield. he cant win big games. forget beating the 1,2,3 seeds in 2005. forget beating unbeaten philly and new england in 2004. forget posting a perfect passer rating 3 times. he is overrated. bring in leftwich. we haven't had a qb this bad since bubby brister. where is my shift key?

Whew, it's hard to write like that. Seriously though, I love stats. I love to find 'em, read 'em and share 'em. I also love having Big Ben as our qb. Almost as much as my man-crush for Hines. So, why not combine two of my loves?

Ben's career stat line...

56 games started, 1,016 completions out of 1,616 attempts for 13,032 yds and a 62.9 completion %. 94 TDs, 61 Ints, for a 91.7 career rating. He's also rushed 168 times for 545 yds and 8 TDs. He currently holds a 49-20 record, with a 5-2 playoff record. Curious how that stacks up against other black-n-gold passers?

1st in rating, comp %, and yds per attempt (8.06), 2nd in TDs and 300 yd games(5), 3rd in wins(44) and yds. 4th in completions and attempts. Oh, and second in Superbowl wins. All on a run-oriented team.

He holds several NFL records...

Most wins by a rookie - 13. Highest passer rating by a rookie - 98.1. Highest comp % by a rook - 62.9%. Youngest qb to win a SB. Second qb ever to have 3 perfect games(Peyton Manning). And just to put that stat in perspective, since 1973 only 34 qbs have ever even had a perfect game, and only 5 qbs have ever had more than one in their entire careers. Ben already has three.

His steeler records are literally too numerous to mention them all, but to highlight a few...

.710 win %
62.9 comp %
32 TDs in one season
91.7 passer rating - career
85.1 rating - postseason
3 perfect games
8.06 yds per attempt
5.85 td% - career
104.1 rating - season

I could go on and list things like most 400+ games, most seasons over 3000 yds, highest rating as a rookie, 15 consecutive games with a TD, most TDs in one game, highest postseason comp %, blah blah blah.

Care to argue any of these stats? Sure, Ben makes mistakes. But so did Marino, Favre and even Bradshaw. Who doesn't? It's idiotic to start throwing Ben under the bus just because he has a bad game or two. And to get one thing straight, 3 of those ints on sunday were not his fault. 2 were tipped by the receiver and one was a desperation heave. I know that beerman is bozo, but I'm willing to bet there are others here that have their doubts. No player is ever going to play lights out, year after year. Even Marino had a rough year or two. remember how antsy Bronco fans were getting before Elway won his two rings?

I guess it comes down to which you would rather have. A guy who makes mistakes but wins and is steadily improving, steadily getter better after already winning a superbowl. Because that's what Ben does. He wins. Or rather, we win with him. Or would you rather go back to struggling with guys like Bubby Brister, Kordell Steward, Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Kent Graham, Mark Malone, Tommy Maddux? Seriously, we have not had a franchise guy under center since Terry. Ben is making Romo money and a ridiculously better body of work. So there it is. Lemme have it. Sorry for the length.

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Awesome, I was thinking about putting something similiar together but you took the words out of my mouth. Ben is GREAT!!!!

by frankrmineo on Oct 29, 2008 4:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Also consider.

If you take away the season with all the off-field circumstances it shows the best ever QB, and better the QB that fits better our rushing kind of game,

Congratulations, you are in the blank, great!

by YeOldeMexFan on Oct 30, 2008 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

AMEN BROTHA!

I don’t think any other QB out of that 2004 draft class would fit with our offense. If it was Manning he’d be sullen and rattled, Rivers I don’t think would fit well with our system either. Ben is a great fit and learning how to lead this team. Nice piece!

by Silverback92 on Oct 29, 2008 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

thank you

thank you for saying what should have been said, also silverback is right about rivers and manning, but you could really add any QB in the league to that list, if i remember correctly once other teams started getting pressure on Peyton and Brady they didnt perform up to their reputions either

by indianasteelers on Oct 29, 2008 4:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lies

Brett Farve never threw interceptions to lose games. Never

by archon095 on Oct 29, 2008 5:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

7

has that special something that the gamers all have. It is the will to win…the knack for making big plays…winning games. I appreciate the stats Ark, They back up your argument. I didn’t need to see them though. I knew from his rookie season that Ben had that special quality that Elway, Bradshaw and other winners had.

Ben will make his mistakes. He will also persevere and win alot of games for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hopefully we can find some coaches that help make him even better. There isn’t another QB in the league I would want behind this Steelers O line.

When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen

by 5020 on Oct 29, 2008 5:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Ben is great. I am worried for the long term that if the pressure keeps getting at him it’ll mess up his career, however he’s already been under duress the past three seasons and been OK so I think he should be fine. Elway took a ton of sacks too.

by TheMostViolentTeam on Oct 29, 2008 5:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great job

Steelerark, bringing sanity when needed once again. :) My only complaint is that your rant at the beginning wasn’t a little longer. ;)

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Oct 29, 2008 5:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

dude

it is unbelievably difficult to ramble on like that. Props to him i guess? :)

by steelerark on Oct 29, 2008 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hehe

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Oct 30, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Steeler for LIFE!!

Ben is a GREAT QB..No one can quaterback when the O-line just leaves you out there to get killed every play!! He needs more protection. Most QB’s in the NFL can’t carry Ben’s socks…I don’t care what the stats say I believe in Big Ben..

by Qdog on Oct 29, 2008 5:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

# 7 Rules

I believe that if you think Ben is a mediocre QB, than more than likely you are not a true Steeler fan. True Steeler fans whould remember our pre Ben QB’s and how bad it was back in the day. I have not read anything negative about Ben on any Sports web pages, shows, or mags. The only negative comments are on MB’s by the jealous fans of beaten or about to be beaten NFL teams.

TAKey

by PitDogg_36 on Oct 29, 2008 5:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

just read

some of the fanposts on this site down below. There are others out there. One guy on ESPN said that it was time to forget about Ben as an ‘elite’ qb. But ultimately, I really just love to dredge up stats. I know you can spin stats a certain way to fit just about any argument, but there is just no denying Ben’s career body of work so far. It is a thing of beauty for a guy so young.

by steelerark on Oct 29, 2008 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Arians is like

racing a Corvette with the parking break on! I (like many of you) was livid and screaming at the tv during the fourth quarter at Ben and his inability to find an open receiver or at LEAST throw the damn ball away! What happened to the quick passes and running game shown the first three quarters??? Early (in the fourth?) when we had two penalties back to back to make it first and 20, I announced to the people in my living room…“watch, a quick slant or in route would make sense in order to make it second and 10 but Arians with fuck it up and go for it all at once.” And once again I was on the money. A longer pass goes incomplete and now the Giants have their ears pinned back and are rushing Ben with no regard to the run. As GREAT as Ben is, once any qb is put into this predictable of a situation of down and distance his chances are limited. I love Ben but until the play calling is improved we will not see the potential we all imagined coming into the season. Taking seven step drops with this o line is like asking a Pinto to pull an RV.

I wasn't hired for my disposition!

by Burgernazi on Oct 29, 2008 6:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The giants dont have the best linebackers in the world so it seems easy enough to get Heath involved in the game but in the final quarter did we throw anything below 20 yards? I know BB likes the long ball and would love to get it but we need to take what the defense gives us.

by archon095 on Oct 29, 2008 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Love the Quote

Or maybe Arians is like tits on a bull………………………USELESS!!!!!!!!

60 minute men

by I.W.H.F.M.D.95 on Oct 30, 2008 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here Here

SteelerArk. Couldnt have said it better myself! I find it most ironic that we spent all last week talking about how great Ben was and now he has a subpar outing and you got guys wanting to run him out of town.
Got admit though when I saw the heading of the post, I almost threw my laptop thinking, “Oh not another Ben’s overated post” after two yesterday! HEHE

by Steeler Ric on Oct 29, 2008 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Roethisberger is overrated by some and underrated by others..

..the same as any other athlete. His first years in the league have been well above average in terms of stats and success. But is he “steadily improving, steadily getting better..”? Since you’re on a stats bing, you might want to compare the first 5 or 10 games of his career with the past 5 or 10. Five years later, to me he DOES NOT seem like a better QB. He seems worse.

by robert ethan on Oct 29, 2008 10:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

In addition to this fine post

Go here. Sums it all up.

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_2440_It’s_official:_Big_Ben_one_of_the_best.html

by Silverback92 on Oct 29, 2008 11:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

But if you look closely...

Ben’s passer rating and YPA average his first two seasons were both higher than his career average. Rating was around 98.5 over 25 combined starts his first two years, and YPA was 8.9 both seasons. His career rating has dropped down to around 91, and his YPA to around 8. Those were the two highlighted categories in the article mentioning that Ben was top 5 in both departments. I would venture to say that his last game kicked him out of the top 5 in both categories. The point that the worriers (like myself) are making is not whether or not Ben has had a good career so far, but the fact that he seems to be regressing rather than maturing as a QB.

by robert ethan on Oct 29, 2008 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If we look

and say Ben is regressing, can’t we also say that since his rookie year our line too has been regressing. The line play is not as consistent and the play calling has changed dramatcially, from running the ball nearly 2/3 of the time to about 1/2. More pass attempts gives Defenses more opprotunities to make plays as well. When you run, D’s are limited to what they can do and the QB is limited to the amount of mistakes they make.

by Silverback92 on Oct 30, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

how good was the OL in 2004 & 2005 compared to right now???

Revenge of the Birds

by cgolden on Oct 30, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Better than now

Smith, Faneca, Hartings, Simmons, Starks …lets see Faneca and Hartings were pro bowlers. I would say a little better than what we have now. Not sure if O. Ross was in there for the 2004 season.

Smith, Chris K., Hartwig, Stapleton, Colon… none of these guys are going to the pro bowl.

Just saying the guys that Ben had when he came into the league had a hell of alot more experience. Not saying the guys up front now can’t get it together and be good…looks like they are playing better every week (at least I think)…played decently on Sunday.

by Silverback92 on Oct 30, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Give Stapleton a few years and better people around him and it may happen. Only was Colon will ever get to the pro bowl is if every other tackle drops out

by archon095 on Oct 30, 2008 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well said Ark, well said

I commend you for speaking the truth. Sometimes stats lie and sometimes they simply take a guy behind the woodshed and beat the hell out of him.

Revenge of the Birds

by cgolden on Oct 30, 2008 12:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ethan

Take off the 2006 year and his rating would be 99 or something and would be the highest on HISTORY!

So, he is not regressing, he had a terrible year, but comparing to Eli, would be a nice year!

by SteelerBrazil on Oct 30, 2008 12:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not sure how

you can even approach the argument that he is losing something, since he had a career year just last year. Sure, most of his records are rookie records, but he has onlly been in the league 4 years.

by steelerark on Oct 30, 2008 2:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs